Director of Benefits & Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)

Classification: Exempt, Full-Time

Position Summary

The Director of Benefits & HRIS is responsible for the strategic administration, continuous improvement, and day-to-day operation of the Diocese's employee benefits programs and HR information systems. This position provides leadership for benefits administration, HR technology, data integrity, compliance, reporting, and process improvement while ensuring an exceptional experience for employees, parishes, schools, and other diocesan entities.

Working collaboratively with Human Resources, Payroll, Finance, Information Technology, vendors, and diocesan leadership, this role serves as the primary operational and thought leader for benefit systems, eligibility management, and HRIS optimization.

The Director is expected to conduct all responsibilities in a manner consistent with the mission, teachings, and values of the Catholic Church and the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, demonstrating respect for the dignity of every person, faithful stewardship of diocesan resources, collaboration, integrity, and a commitment to serving parishes, schools, ministries, and employees with excellence.

Essential Responsibilities

Benefits Administration

• Manage the administration of all employee benefit programs including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, retirement, flexible spending accounts, wellness programs, and voluntary benefits for approximately 10,000 lives.
• Ensure timely and accurate enrollment, qualifying life events, terminations, church plan continuation, retirements, and annual open enrollment activities.
• Develop and maintain benefit policies, procedures, forms, and employee communications.
• Partner with insurance carriers, brokers, third-party administrators, and vendors to resolve complex eligibility and claims issues.
• Monitor benefit eligibility and conduct regular audits to ensure accurate coverage.
• Review benefit invoices and perform reconciliation with payroll and enrollment systems.

HRIS Administration

Serve as the functional owner of the Human Resources Information System including system configuration, business process design, workflow automation, security roles, data governance, reporting, system testing, and user support

Responsibilities include:

• Maintaining employee data integrity, managing security roles and user permissions, configuring benefit plans, eligibility rules, and workflows, coordinating system upgrades and testing, identifying automation opportunities to improve efficiency, and develop and maintaining system documentation.

Data Governance & Reporting

• Ensure accuracy and integrity of employee and benefit data, developing dashboards and reports for executive leadership, and conducting recurring audits of: benefit eligibility, payroll deductions, imputed income, dependent verification, ACA reporting data, employment status, and position control
• Analyze trends and recommend operational improvements.
• Produce reports supporting financial reconciliation and strategic decision-making.

Compliance

Maintain compliance with applicable federal, state, diocesan, and Church Plan requirements including: Affordable Care Act (ACA), HIPAA, COBRA/Church Plan continuation of benefits, IRS reporting, Section 125, FMLA benefit continuation, Medicare reporting, CMS disclosure requirements, W-2 benefit reporting, privacy and data security requirements, and document supporting compliance audits.

Open Enrollment

Lead the annual benefits open enrollment process including: System configuration and testing, employee communications, training, vendor coordination, and post-enrollment reconciliation and reporting.

Evaluate opportunities to improve the enrollment experience through automation and technology.

Payroll & Finance Collaboration

Partner with Payroll and Finance to ensure: Accurate benefit deductions, employer contribution calculations, benefit billing and reconciliation, general ledger reporting, vendor invoice reconciliation, retirement contribution accuracy, and life and disability premium reporting.

Vendor Management

Serve as primary operational contact for insurance carriers, benefits broker, HRIS vendors, payroll vendor (Paycor), wellness vendors, and third-party administrators. Monitor service levels and recommend operational improvements.

Process Improvement

Identify opportunities to reduce manual processes, increase automation, improve data accuracy, strengthen internal controls, enhance customer service, improve reporting capabilities, and increase operational efficiency. Lead implementation of new HR technology initiatives and process improvements.

Leadership

Supervise, coach, and develop Benefits and HRIS staff. Establish department goals and performance expectations. Cross-train team members to ensure operational continuity. Promote a culture of collaboration, accountability, customer service, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree in:

• Human Resources, Business Administration, Information Systems, Finance, Management, or related field

Master's degree preferred.

Experience

• Five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in employee benefits administration.
• Three or more years of HRIS administration.
• Supervisory or management experience preferred.
• Experience administering complex employer-sponsored benefit plans.
• Experience with HRIS implementations, upgrades, or optimization initiatives.
• Experience with payroll and benefits integration.

Preferred Experience

Experience with:

• Paycor
• bswift (or comparable benefits administration systems)
• HR reporting and analytics
• Church or nonprofit organizations
• Benefits compliance
• Vendor management

Knowledge

Demonstrated working knowledge of employee benefits administration, HRIS systems, payroll integration, and applicable federal regulations, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), HIPAA, IRS reporting requirements, and COBRA or Church Plan continuation provisions. Strong understanding of retirement plans, data governance principles, and process improvement methodologies, with the ability to optimize workflows, enhance data integrity, and improve operational efficiency. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, reporting tools, and HR analytics, with the ability to analyze complex data, develop meaningful metrics, support strategic decision-making, and ensure compliance across HR and benefits operations.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit for extended periods while using a computer.
• Occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to travel occasionally to diocesan locations.

Mission Statement

The Director of Benefits & HRIS supports the mission of the Catholic Diocese by ensuring that employee benefit programs and HR systems operate with excellence, integrity, stewardship, and compassion. Through effective administration, sound data management, and continuous improvement, this position helps provide exceptional service to employees, parishes, schools, and ministries while supporting the Diocese's commitment to responsible stewardship of its resources.

Range

$80,000 — $90,000

Employment Application PDF